Just started camping again and my trusty 25 year old sleeping bag let me down a bit over the weekend so I resorted to sleeping in socks, PJ bottoms, a base layer and a micro fleece (sleeping on a rollmat under an air bed).

With a trip to Glastonbury coming up (no airbaed there) and further family camping trips planned for over the summer I can’t decide whether I should get a three season and be very toasty (I am normally a naturally ‘hot’ sleeper though and don’t want to overheat) or a two season – but I don’t want to get cold again like I did this weekend.

I won’t be doing any more than family campsite camping (ie, from May to September) so I am just wary of going too over the top and gettign something I actually find too hot.

HELP!

Hard to know just how hot you sleep, but personally I’d only consider less than 3 seasons if I was really concerned about weight/size or was planning on spending a lot of time somewhere warmer than the UK.

I read that wrong – thought this was about 2-3 people to a sleeping bag. So that was disappointing.

Weight & size not a worry (although Glastonbury might be a hassle, but I am otherwise travelling pretty light to that anyway). Mostly it will just get bunged in the car and taken to a campsite.

Car camping? Two season, plus fleece blanket, uber warm mat and some nice PJ’s for cold weather.

The thing is, I don’t know how much my old 2 season bag has stopped performing – it might be really cold compared to a new one. In the past it has been used for a summer travelling around Europe, various music festivals in the UK, Mountain Mayhem several times (so been slept in fully clothed/muddied) and has therefore been washed a few times.

I went for a lightweight (1 or 2 season) on shop advice and it turned out to be too cold and was sleeping in thermals even in the summer. I replaced it with a 3 season bag and that’s been perfect for me. Hard to advise for others but if the 2 you have isn’t enough get a 3. I have also found manufacturer quality varies a lot, so a good 2 might be better than a cheaper 3 ?

http://www.snugpak.com/outdoor/chrysalis-2

I bought this the other month, well chuffed with it, lowest I’ve camped is down to about 3C so far, but I was in the bag in my pants only, well toasty. It’s extendable too, for us chunkier fellows, so plenty roomy!

you should find it for about 60 quid somewhere.

I bought a cheap synthetic silk like liner as well to go with it just incase, but I’ve not needed it.

inappropriate rant

oldest small antigee school backpacking trip last week – winter here in Oz – forecast -4deg C at night in the Victorian Alps and camping in forecast 10cm of snow – so I sent a note saying had a bulky, heavy old synthetic bag rated as comfort to -2 plus a liner – or did they have a recommended bag for trip

answer “we suggest don’t buy a cheap bag but don’t spend too much”

😥 😥

i got mrs antigee to sort it

seosamh77, how would you say that bag compares to a rectangular bag? Been looking to upgrade for a while now, but having tried mummy bags before, I’ve always ended up going back rectangular. How far down the bag does the extending panel go?